Illuminating attachment for vehicle door locks



Feb. 17, 1942. E, E, REENLEES 2,273,570

ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLE DOOR LOCKS Filed Sept. 11, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In ventor I I awa-ra areez/ee By QM-m Attorney Feb. 17, 1942.

E. E. GREENLEES I 2,273,570

ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENT FQR VEHICLE DOOR .LOCKS Filed Sept. 11, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In ventor [dwaro Green/ 3 A tiomey Patented Feb. 1 7, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLE DOOR LOCKS Edward E. Grecnlees, Flint, Mich.

Application September 11, 1940, Serial No. 356,378

4 Claims.

This invention relates to illuminating means for the keyhole of a lock of a vehicle door, the present invention being an improvement over that forming the subject matter of an application filed by me on November 18, 1939, Serial No. 305,161, the general object of the present invention being to provide means for supplying current to a lamp carried by the door handle without the use of wires in the door and by means of a spherical member carried by the door and engaging a spring-pressed contact carried by the frame and connected by a single conductor with a live wire connected with the lighting system of the vehicle.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describingthe invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary side view of a vehicle provided with the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the door and door frame showing the contact means between said door and frame.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of the lamp arrangement in the door handle and showing a portion of the shaft connected with the handle and passing through the door for operating the latch means of the door.

Figure 5 is a view of the bail used for connecting the lamp bulb to the socket.

In these drawings, the numeral I indicates a small casing located in the door frame and bolted to the edge thereof and a plunger 2 of nonconducting material is slidably arranged in the casing and has a neck 3 passing through the inner end of the casing and a boss 4 is formed on the front end of the plunger and passes through a hole in the edge of the frame. A spring 5 located in the casing tends to hold the plunger in its forward or projected position with the boss extending through said hole in the edge of the frame. A conductor 6 has one end passing into the neck 3 and the other end is connected to live wire of the illuminating system of the vehicle, preferably to the wire which supplies current to the dome lamp L in the top of the vehicle.' A contact member I is carried by the plunger 2 with one end passing into the boss A and this end having a recess 8 therein. The other end of the contact member is formed with a socket for receiving an end of the conductor and this end of the conductor is held in the socket by a screw 9 passing through a threaded hole in the plunger 2.

A small casing I is attached to the inner part of the door at the free edge thereof and carries a block ll of non-conducting material. The shaft l2 of the door handle l3 passes through this block andthrough the casing Ill and a substantially hemi-spherical recess I3 is formed in the block and has a part in communication with the opening through which the shaft [2 passes. A ball or spherical member I4 is located in the recess and a cap of non-conducting material is fastened to the outer face of the block and has a raised portion l5 projecting through an opening in the free edge of the door and this cap has an opening therein through which a portion of the ball passes with a part of the ball projecting from the raisedportion I5 for engaging the recess in the contact member 1 when the door is closed. The parts are so formed that when the door is being closed the ball will strike the boss 4 of the plunger 2 and press the plunger inwardly against the action of the spring 5 and then the ball will pass into the recess and the spring will force the plunger back so as to cause the recess part of the contact member I to firmly engage the projecting part of the ball.

A collar l6 of non-conducting material is placed on the shaft i2 and is located in the opening in the block II and a conductor rod I1 is located in a sleeve l8 of non-conducting material 10- cated in a part of the shaft l2. This sleeve insulates the conductor rod H from the shaft l2.

, A screw I9 passes through the collar into the shaft and contacts the rod IT. The screw is insulated from the shaft as shown in Figure 2. The head of the screw is located in a hole in the sleeve l6 and partly projects therefrom to engage the ball l4 when the parts are in a position with the handle of the door in position holding the door closed. However, when the handle is turned to open the door, the screw will turn with the shaft, thus turning the collar It so that the head of the screw will move out of engagement with the ball and the ball will only contact a part of the sleeve so that the circuit is broken between the rod I1 and the ball. Thus the circuit will be broken as soon as the handle is turned to unlatching position and even before the door is open and this breaking of the circuit by unlatching movement of the handle will tend to prevent the person grasping the handle from receiving a shock for the circuit is broken as soon as the handle is turned.

A small housing 2| forms the inner end of th handle and the outer end of the rod ll extends into the bottom of the chamber formed by the housing and said housing has a window 22 in its under part. The outer end of the housing is open made in the construction and in the combination and an elongated push button 23 is slidably arranged in the housing with its knurled end 24 the window, a spring actuated live contact in the door frame, a spherical member, a nonprojecting from the housing. The push button conducting part in the door carrying the spherforms a casing which contains a socket 25 for a ical member with the member projecting therelamp bulb 26, the bulb being so positioned that a from and engaging the live contact when the its light will pass through the window 22 to 11- door is closed, a contact rod in the shaft enluminate the keyhole 21. The socketis provided, gazed by a part of the lamp when the push with bayonet slots and the base of the lamp is button is pressed inwardly, and means for 'conformed with the pins 21 engaging these slots and 'necting the spherical member to said rodconsaid base also carries the ball 28 for manipulatl tact when the handle 8 in la hi P n d ing the bulb into and out of the socket and also d means moving Out Of Contact With the Sp for holding the bulb in the socket. The center 1081, m m e when he handle is moved to uncontact of the lamp projects through the inner latching position, 45 button b n p vided with end of the button so that when, the button is gasket, ns r pr vidin a fluid-tl ht Join pressed inwardly this center contact so will enbetween it a th housin I gage the rod [1 so as to complete the circuit 3. An illuminating attachment 1'01 the keyhole to th m t t being grounded on t 1 of a door lock bomprising a door handle including doorr A spring 3| tends to hold the button K housing d a Shaft, Said housing av g a with the lamp easing outwardly with the contact \WindOW therein for the Passage of the light r ys 3g spaced from t rod as shown in Figure to the keyhole, the shaft being rotatably arscrew 32 is carried by the housing 2| and ranged in the door, a push button slidably artends t a slot 33 formed in the lamp casing ranged in the housing, a lamp carried by the for limiting sliding movement of the button and and the rays of which pass through he a gasket 34 is carried by the button for f r i window, a spring actuated live contact in the door a moisture proof connection between the button 5 frame a spherical member, non-conducting and the lamp housing part in the door carrying the spherical member Thus it will be seen that by pressing upon the with the member projecting therefrom and enbutton the circuit to the lamp will be closed game the live Contact when the door is osed, through the contact and the rod [1, the screw l9, ball M, the contact I and the conductor 5. 30 However, when the handle is turned to open the door the circuit will be broken by the screw l9 moving out ofengagement with the ball ll. 4

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be the lamp when the push button is pressed inwardly and means for connecting the spherical member to said rod contact when the handle is in latching position and said means moving out of contact with the spherical member when the handle is moved to unlatching position, said therein, and a bulb and base with a bail carried by the base for engaging the slot. 4. In combination with a door and its frame, a spring-actuated contact carried by the frame and projecting therefrom and having a substantially hemi-sphericalrecess in its outer end, a claimed as new is: conductor connecting the contact with a source t l of supply, a block of non-conducting material in of g i g gggg gg g zzgi 2: 3: fiifi? the door and having a part projecting therefrom, ing a housing and a shaft, said housing having a spherical member movably carried by the block a. window therein for the passage of the light and having a Part Projectmg from he projectrays to the keyhole, the shaft being rotatably armg portion thereof for engaging the Spring conmnged in the door, a push button slidably ab tact when the door is closed, a shaft rotatably mm :d in the housing, a lamp carried by the butiii g the door and pas-sing through the ton and the rays of which pass through the win- 00 5 eeve of nonwom-luctmg mat-erial surdow a spring actuated live contact in the door roundmg the shaft an? havmg an opening there fran'm a Spherical member a nomconducting in, a contact rod carr ed by the shaft and insup g the door carrying spherical member lated therefrom, a pro ection carried by the shaft with the member projectingtherefrom and enf' engagmg the rPd Contact and having a part ocated in the opening of the sleeve for engaging gagmg the Contact when the door 15 closed the spherical member when the shaft is in one 2 2 23 ai i g: 533 :a zg g g g g gf position and moving out of engagement with the pwardlyy and means. for connecting the Spherical spherical member when the shaft is in another member to said rod contact when the handle is in latching position and said means moving out of contact with the spherical member when the handle is moved to unlatching position.

2. An illuminating attachment for the keyhole of a door lock comprising a door-handle including a housing and a shaft,: said housing having a window therein for the passage of the light rays to the keyhole, the shaft being rotatably arranged in the door, a push button slidably arr ranged in the housing, a lamp carried by the 7 button and the rays of which pass through and arrangement of the several parts provided that such changes fall within the scope of the 40 appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is of the shaft and including a casing into which the rod contact extends, a push button slidably arranged in the housing and provided with a lamp socket, a lamp carried by the socket and having a part for engaging the ,rod contact when for holding the push button in its projected position and a window in the housing for the passage of the light rays from the lamp for illuminating the keyhole of the door.

EDWARD E? GREENLEES.

acontact rod in the shaft engaged by a part of lamp including a socket having a bayonet slot g position, a handle connected with the outer end the button is pushed inwardly, spring means 

